The Mineral tennantite

Tennantite is the arsenic-rich end member of the Tetrahedriteseries. Tennantite is the less common member of this series, and is sometimes indistinguishable from Tetrahedrite by common methods. Tennantite was named in 1819 in honor of English chemist Smithson Tennant (1761-1815), who was best known for his discovery of the rare elements iridium and osmium, as well as proving the identity of Diamond and Graphite from the element carbon.

In tetrahedral crystals and stacked clusters, resembling triangular pyramids. Also in complex, rounded crystals with many crystal faces, formed from a combination of cubic-tetrahedral crystals. Commonly grainy and massive. Crystals may be deeply striated in a triangular pattern, and may also be intergrown.

Tennantite crystals in unique, equidimensional crystals with multiple crystal faces are found at the Lengenbach Quarry, Binn Valley, Wallis, Switzerland, where they are known as Binnite. Good crystals, often integrown together Pyrite, have come from Cavnic (Kapnic), Maramureș Co., Romania. Some of the largest and best-formed Tennantite crystals have come from the Tsumeb, Otjikoto, Namibia. This locality has also produced highly prized Tennantite pseudomorphs after Azurite. Good Tennantite crystal clusters have recently been coming from the Dzhezkazgan Mine, Karagandy Province, Kazakhstan.

Lustrous crystals of Tennantite have come from several of the ore deposits in Peru, especially at the Julcani Mine, Huancavelica Department; and the Quiruvilca Mine, La Libertad Department. In Mexico, sharp crystals on contrasting white Quartz are well-known from the Cobre Mine, Concepción del Oro, Zacatecas. In the U.S., triangular crystal clusters of Tennantite have come from the Butte District, Silver Bow Co., Montana, especially at the Leonard Mine.

We strive for accurate content and locality information. If you feel any of the content is incorrect, or if you feel we are missing vital locality information, please fill out the form below so we can update the site. If you are requesting a locality be added, please only include significant locality occurences for the mineral.